The fun's over! It's time for an Easter (Sunday, March 31) Challenge!

[Patty Smyth]

Ugh up 1.2 not a good start but I know the culprit is the chocolate my son has in his room which I seem to gravitate towards.

[SassyAshley]

I am still not doing weigh in, I do not want to know the number plus I know me and I will obsess over the number so I base everything on how my jeans feel. Jeans are still too big so I am happy but eating at the end of the week did not go so well. Dad took me out to lunch on Thursday, really good lunch had a vegetable pasta but than resulted in me skipping dinner as I was so full from my late lunch. Friday ended up in an over 2 meeting with our controller yep you guessed it another late lunch, than away from my desk all afternoon so no snack and than dinner was after 7 by the time both me and mom got home from work.

Hoping for a better week this week but it will be hard as I am all over the place, 2 or 3 days in my regular location, one day of training in another location, possible second day if needed and one day visiting a customer about 3 to 4 hours away. I am going to be all over the place this week. I am usually really good at not eating out, not stopping for food or treats but again it will be eating as I get so busy and focused I forget to eat.

Wishing everyone a great week.

[SassyAshley]

Abby I do not have kids but completely feel your pain when it comes to your own body image and I actually tend to drive people away because of it. For so many years I had guys telling me how cute or pretty I was but needed to lose 20, 30, 50 pounds and look them up. So even now I always sitting here waiting for the other shoe to drop, for him tell me how pretty I would be if I lost some weight or for him to start judging what I am eating and make other suggestions (why not have a salad instead of that burger), that now when a guy is into me, I tend to drive him away because I talk down about myself as I am always waiting for them to find someone "better" or "prettier".

[Lynn49]

Down 1.9. Not 2... Noooo, that would be too easy! Gr. Anyway, it's a minus, which I'll take!

Ashley, please don't define yourself by what anyone else has said in the past. Keep your head up high, be proud of who you are, not how you wish you could appear to others. YOU choose who to be with, not the other way around...you're not auditioning for them, THEY have to prove their worth to you!
Never talk down about yourself, practice positive self-talk to yourself, out loud. You deserve to be with a good man, but if you can't learn to love yourself as you are, you can't love someone else.....
Learn to be happy with who you are now. Hugs.....!

[Abby5]

Down 1lb omg this is going to take awhile

[Patty Smyth]

Down 1.2 lol so basically back to the starting point

[Abby5]

Back up 1...omg!

[Lynn49]

I started again today, and I think I've turned that corner...the one that takes me from just hoping to work on a diet, to the point where I AM on a diet, and determined to let this weight go.
I watch TheBiggestLoser, and Sonya said something at the end of the last episode that really struck a chord for me, when she described her struggle:

It's hard!
It"s takes a long time!
But
it's
SO
worth
it.

I remember the "it's SO worth it" part ... (the energy I had, the new clothes I had to buy, and NOT buying them in a fat lady's store!) ....where I was and how I felt last Spring, before my fall.
And I want to get back there...and I will!!

I faithfully journaled my foods today and realize that I'm not very good at guessing, or just 'eating better' without being accountable to myself. Somehow, writing it down and seeing what I had so far in the day makes it easier for me to say, "Aha. Sooooo...I can still have...." And realize it's still a lot, it's just the right stuff!

Good luck, everyone!

[thriftygranny]

Hey girls, I am back!!!going to earnestly start this week. My DH is currently doing the Fast Metabolism diet and it is a pita for prep but it is working for him and all the food groups are covered (i am not one for deprivation diets!) So I will be joining him on the eating plan.
since I had my angioplasty and stents put in in December I have put on about 10 pounds, I think a lot has to do with my meds, and I quit smoking last year and put on 10 pounds but on the upside I saved almost 3000.00 not buying cigarettes and feel and smell so much better!! So I would like to lose 20 pounds minimum. My motivator is a trip to Hawaii in May if I get the doctor's clearance to fly!

[Lynn49]

Hey girls, I am back!!!going to earnestly start this week. My DH is currently doing the Fast Metabolism diet and it is a pita for prep but it is working for him and all the food groups are covered (i am not one for deprivation diets!) So I will be joining him on the eating plan.
since I had my angioplasty and stents put in in December I have put on about 10 pounds, I think a lot has to do with my meds, and I quit smoking last year and put on 10 pounds but on the upside I saved almost 3000.00 not buying cigarettes and feel and smell so much better!! So I would like to lose 20 pounds minimum. My motivator is a trip to Hawaii in May if I get the doctor's clearance to fly!

WELCOME, TG!!! We're all on various diets on here, but all willing to help each other out, cheer some on, commiserate with others; we're all one or the other at different times on here.
Good luck, and congrats on quitting smoking...new stents...you're practically a new woman!! Looking forward to having you with us, Hon!!

[thriftygranny]

The smoking was so tough, that was last year's resolution and I feel free!! Now the weight...should be a cake walk compared to the smoking, however i do think I have quite the addiction to sugar!!
Made some great oatmeal gluten free pancakes with fresh blueberries this morning and they were really good, my plan is make a lifestyle change and retrain myself to how I think about food and the ingredients I use,

[SassyAshley]

Challenge for this week, I leave Monday morning around 6 am and won't be back until who knows when on Friday (hoping to be able to leave mid afternoon to head back but will depend on staff needs). Monday won't be too bad staying with Cousin and his family, not sure on the plan for dinner but will be eating a his place. Than Tuesday to Friday it is hotel living for me.

I purchased a tub of yogurt yesterday which I will add Chia seeds too and eat as my snacks all week plus a bag of sweet kale salad for lunches. Thinking of taking granola with me for breakfast instead of eating in the restaurant but will probably do dinner in the restaurant but only time will tell how well it goes. They have a few lighter options for dinner I do really enjoy so we will see how it goes.

Last week was not good I did training in one of our locations I can commute from home too which is good except I starter at 7 am working with employees right from 9:30 am to 3:40 pm and did not stop. I had to stop on the way home and pick up stuff for this week so I had a 1/4 cup of granola around 6 am and than did not eat again until 7 pm when I got home, so not good. I am really going to have to be careful this week and remind myself to take time out to eat. Since all locations have multiple employees I will be working with I tend to just jump between employees so they get breaks but I skip mine.

[Lynn49]

The smoking was so tough, that was last year's resolution and I feel free!! Now the weight...should be a cake walk compared to the smoking, however i do think I have quite the addiction to sugar!!
Made some great oatmeal gluten free pancakes with fresh blueberries this morning and they were really good, my plan is make a lifestyle change and retrain myself to how I think about food and the ingredients I use,

Hon, I hear ya about the quitting smoking; hubby and I did that because we planned on having kids and didn't want to smoke...that was about 35 years ago. It took years, literally, before I stopped thinking about that first cigarette with my morning coffee, lol...but that 'desire' wore off; I never did go back to smoking. Cold turkey. I kept one in the fridge for an emergency, but each time I opened that door, I'd look at the pathetic, ugly thing, and think, nope...I'm stronger than you are, twerp!! hahaha! Whatever gets us by, right? Our DD and her DH also quit before our grandson came along...she used Chantix and it was quite easy for her...thank God none of us smokes now!! Congratulations to you....yes, FREE is the exact word! No having to go out at night to buy the wretched things because you'd be out of them by morning! Remember those days?! UGH!!

Hon, I do try not to think of it as a diet...yes, it is, of course, since I need to lose weight, but what it really is, is a life-style change. I want to still be hanging around to see our grandson graduate elementary school...even high school! That's not so unreasonable, I'm thinkin'! However, if I don't make some changes, that may not happen. Although I carry my weight pretty well, I still don't like size 18 clothes anymore, now that I've had a taste of size 16 last spring!! When I get there again, I'd be pretty okay, although I'd probably still want to lose a little more....DD is on Herbal One with me (she actually joined me up with them), she's a size 10, and feels better as an 8. Sigh......in my dreams!!! LOL!!

Well, good luck to all of us!!

Ashley, you're going to have a tough go of it, that's for sure, but do try to take time for those breaks, and lunches...we don't need you collapsing on us!! I've taken breakfast cereals into hotels for breakfast if there's a fridge in the room, and there always is, really....hubby goes for coffee, brings back a glass of milk for my cereal and I don't have to be tempted by those horrible buffet offerings!! I'm good to go until lunchtime and as you know, pickings can be very slim as far as healthy choices go. Take fruits along with you...healthy bars, take time for a cuppa tea and whatever happens, you'll be home soon enough and making better choices there! Good luck!!

[Lynn49]

1

Welcome to the #RealisticResolution Challenge!

2

Let the H2O Flow

3

Go Fish!

4

Have Your Alcohol (and Drink It, Too!)

5

Stop Portion Distortion

6

Shop Smarter

7

Week 2 Meal Plan

8

Make Time for Family Time

9

Super Food Smarts

10

Pack in the Protein

11

Tame Your Sweet Tooth

12

Clean Up Your Grocery Cart

13

Scaling Back on the Salt

14

Week 3 Meal Plan

15

Sneak in More Freggies

16

Eating Out is a Snap!

17

Sip Smarter

18

Fill Up on Fiber

19

Mindful Eating 101

20

Snack Better

21

Week 4 Meal Plan

22

Make Lighter Bites

23

How to Stay Full Longer

24

Stay the Course!

25

Fantastic Freezer Meals

26

Craving-Busters

27

Learn to Love Veggies

28

On-the-Go Eats

29

Eat Better for the Long Haul

30

Your Challenge Is Complete!

[Lynn49]

I just posted a 30-day challenge....for most of us...okay, me....it's unrealistic to stick to something like this for 30 days; however, there are menu ideas, food smarts, and hopefully a little more motivation among those links!

Enjoy!!